Best Video Store (2013)

In this age of instant digital streaming, there are plenty of places to find movies but surprisingly few places to discover them. Cinefile Video is one of the precious latter. With its hyper-organization of subgenres — bikers, monkeys and pregnant men all have their own sections here — Cinefile functions like an Ezra Pound poem, encouraging customers to take the time to enjoy the process of browsing, of forming connections between films and stumbling across new titles, by making it difficult to find anything quickly. Looking for What's Eating Gilbert Grape? It's in a section called "Method Acting Is Retarded," for movies in which actors play mentally challenged characters. How about Risky Business? That's in "Shade Tippin," because of the DVD cover. Confused? Just ask! None of the asshole clerks work here anymore. Cinefile's collection of rare and region-coded videos aside, the shop distinguishes itself as the best place to go when you don't want your browsing to be limited by an algorithm. Which is why you went to a video store in the first place, isn't it? 11280 Santa Monica Blvd., Sawtelle. (310) 312-8836, cinefilevideo.blogspot.com. —Emma Courtland